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Hey all! A few days ago, I posted my jazz cover of Utada's new theme song for Kingdom Hearts 3, "Chikai" / "Don't Think Twice" (depending on what you want to call it). Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think (if you like it, there are links in the video description where you can download/stream my cover!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLqlv22JFN0

Okay so I was listening to a lot of Utada's older work recently and it finally clicked. The reason people don't like the new song as much isn't the song itself, a lot of it just has to do with Utada's new vocal direction. Instead of light and breathy with lots of high notes and emotion, her style is a lot darker and more mature. She sounds like a totally different singer now if you compare songs like "Automatic" or "First Love" to "Don't Think Twice". If you don't believe me listen:
Automatic:
Compare that to another song on her latest album
Anata:

When I first heard Don't Think Twice (called "Chikai" in Japanese), I was sort of on the fence about it. I got super emotional and teared up listening to it the first time because it's the KH3 Utada theme, but at the same time, I was sort of somewhat disappointed when I compared it to Simple And Clean and Sanctuary. But, after listening to it more and more, the more it grows on me. I absolutely love it now. It's a really beautiful song and it really sort of encompasses my feelings towards this series. I can understand why some people think it might be "meh," since I used to have somewhat of that mindset, but I love it now. It's grown on me so much. I can just imagine hearing it as the credits roll for KH3 after a super emotional ending and super emotional game experience as a whole.

I've seen the issue of the Kingdom Hearts 3 theme song floating around quite a bit recently so I'm here to explain to exactly what the title says.
After Kingdom Hearts 2 Utada decided she deserved more money, Disney would not pay and so they cut ties, This is why we have not had a new song since Kingdom Hearts 2. Now since the games came out before digital downloads were thing the contract they have does not include the rights to digital versions of Utada Hikaru's songs. This is why we have never had a full Kingdom Hearts game available digitally and since Sony wants all PlayStation 4 games to be available digitally just as all Vita games are, legally we cannot have either the KH 1 or 2 theme song for KH3. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122335-All-PS4-Games-Will-Be-Available-as-Downloads While Utada may still be on good terms with Nomua, her ties with Disney are still uncertain and both Square and Disney need the rights to her songs for them tonbe in KH3 so unless Disney decides to cave and pay her what she asks, whatever new song we have for Kingdom Hearts 3 will not be from Utada.
So, to sum it up, it's Disney's fault.